Yasmeen Manzoor
Srinagar, June 07(KNB): After the government ordered opening of offices in Jammu and Kashmir, employees found it difficult to reach the workplaces due to non availability of transport facilities and also face the risk of being marked absent.
While announcing the implementation of all lockdown relaxations as advised by the Centre, J&K Administration asked all government employees to attend offices from 06 June, however number of employees across valley failed to reach their offices as public transport was off the roads, and much more many employees belong to the red zone where they are under strict lockdown imposed by government to combat the deadly Coronavirus.
In the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, the centre extended the countrywide lockdown till June 30 and allowed considerable relaxation in red, orange and green zones. In an order issued by J&K government it stated, “employees who are at higher risk i.e. older employees, pregnant employees and employees who have underlying medical conditions should take extra precautions and should preferably not be exposed to any front-line work requiring direct contact with the public and the office management would facilitate work from home wherever feasible.”
Government employees who do not owe vehicles and those belonging to Red Zones are finding it difficult to reach offices amid lockdown and also face the risk of being marked absent.
One of the employee said, “Several government employees could not attend their offices due to restrictions, those having their own vehicles attended offices, but those like me who don’t have vehicles will face difficulties in wake of suspension of public transport, this situation has left employees one more time helpless and it is happening across the valley, No public transportation, no private vehicle, but you’ll have to reach your office.”
Another employee said, “As our area has been declared red zones a week back, we are not allowed to move out, the government should ponder upon their decision once again and should manage Transport along with the passes for us.”
Pertinently, all districts of Kashmir Valley, excluding Bandipora and Ganderbal, have been declared as red zones, Ramban district of Jammu province has also been declared as red zone while as the Jammu and Kashmir government is likely to allow three wheeler traffic and home delivery of food from restaurants in summer capital Srinagar.(KNB)